When will my child be able to start pre school?

[TKKW]

My child is 3 in second week of April and in Staffordshire, the Summer term begins on 28th April.

I thought we could start it Summer term (ie the term after they turn 3) but nursery said it would be september.

Desperate for the 15 hours "free".

Can anyone shed any light?

Thanks.
T

OP I think it was a valid question-I had no idea there were cut offs! DD will be 3 mid-September this year so I assumed she'd get the free hours from Jan 2015-am dismayed it won't be till the Easter term!

Antoinette if her birthday is in September her funded hours will start in January.

Mrsmarigold your hours will start in Jan 2015 and she will start school in sept 2017 so she will start school just before her 5th birthday

MrsMarigold, I think your dd would get her free hours from the January after she turns 3 (January 2016?). She would start school August 2017 just before she is 5.

Antoinette, your dd will be funded from the January if she is 3 in the September before.

she wouldnt be funded from Jan 2015 as she would still only be 2years old

Three year olds will be able to start a free nursery place in the September, January or April following their third birthday.

Your child's birthday must be before:

31 March will be eligible for free nursery education from the Summer Term (April)

31 August will be eligible for free nursery education from the Autumn Term (September)

31 December will be eligible for free nursery education from the Spring term (January)

These are the cut off dates. If your child's birthday is for example on the 1st or 2nd January and the term starts on the 5th January I am afraid their funding will not start until the Summer Term after Easter because they have passed the cut off date of 31st December.

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ie. if the 3rd birthday is from 1st Jan to 31st March then they would get funding from April

if the 3rd birthday is from 1st April to 31st August then funding is from September

if the 3rd birthday is from 1st September to 31st December then funding is from January

Oh phew! Thanks all.

my ds just makes the cut off (will be 3 on 30th march) but the nursery is full and even the private option is full so we will have to wait until Sept anyway. most of my friends are in the same position. I am gutted as just had dc2 and had been counting down to April and now have to add another 4/5 months to my wait :(

Thanks for clarifying, although I've lived here ages some days I still feel very foreign.